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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/25008574">In the Wake</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/argle_fraster/pseuds/argle_fraster'>argle_fraster</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Apex Legends (Video Games)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Gen, The Author Regrets Nothing, is this pre-Crypto/Mirage, spoilers for The Broken Ghost quest, you be the judge of that one, you will pry emphasis italics out of my cold dead hands</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-07-01</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-07-01</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-04 05:22:13</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Teen And Up Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>2,097</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/25008574</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/argle_fraster/pseuds/argle_fraster</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>[Coda to The Broken Ghost: Chapter Seven]<br/>I swear the kid's whole face fell as Renee escorted Nat through a portal near the end of the bar. </p>
<p>(Mirage, Crypto, and Bloodhound have a chat afterward.)</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>27</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>In the Wake</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>I come from a fandom that writes codas, so... here's a coda. This will be Jossed next week, but let me have my fun. And practice my voice for this fandom.</p>
    </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>I swear the kid's whole face fell as Renee escorted Nat through a portal near the end of the bar. I mean, I got it—Nat had that effect on people. She was kind of like this ray of sunshine you desperately want to be near enough to, and yeah, they'd been pretty chummy working on this artefact together. But Nat saw the best in people, and as far as she knew, her blind trust had been completely betrayed.</p>
<p>That's a hard one to take, the first time it happens.</p>
<p>There wasn't much chit-chat as the others left. What was there to say, really, that hadn't already been said? Nothing, it seemed, which, coming from this crew, said more than the words could have. These folks <i>always</i> had something to say, even the things you didn't really want to hear.</p>
<p><i>Especially</i> the things you didn't want to hear.</p>
<p>When they left, it was just me, Bloodhound, and Crypto, who looked like the whole floor had fallen away beneath him. Yeah, life feels like that sometimes. Shit's hard. Seemed he didn't really know what to do or where to go, and got stuck without a new direction. Just looking at him made me need a stiff drink. He obviously hadn't got a clue where to go next, and I guess my bar was as good a place as any to just... quietly panic.</p>
<p>I grabbed for a bottle of liquor and a few of the clean glasses. Crypto seemed surprised when I slid one across the bar to rest in front of him.</p>
<p>I raised my eyebrows in the direction of the glass when he stared at me. "Bottoms up."</p>
<p>He didn't touch the glass, but he also didn't run out of the building, so I wasn't sure where his head was at. Bloodhound remained where they were standing near the back wall, sort of in the shadows—the place they liked best, perched to watch everything else with eagle eyes. Whatever assumption they were making, it evidently needed additional scrutiny.</p>
<p>It helped that they'd stayed. Somehow, it solidified that stupid nagging feeling in my gut, the one I tried really hard to ignore most of the time.</p>
<p>Reeeeeally should ignore it this time, too, but hell, Mom always told me I took the dumbest paths possible.</p>
<p>"I'm not the spy," Crypto said. It sounded pretty weak. Maybe the confrontation had drained all the life out of him.</p>
<p>"Okay," I replied, but flicked my eyes at Bloodhound's still form. The tiniest, nearly imper— imperse— dammit, the word was on the tip of my tongue. The tiniest, barely noticeable nod. At least they agreed. Something to hold onto. "I didn't ask, but okay."</p>
<p>"I know what you're thinking." He finally sounded frustrated, which was a win, weirdly enough. "I'm not working with Revenant, and I didn't hack my own drone. This is crazy. Someone is infiltrating us well enough to—"</p>
<p>"Hold up, kid," I tried, and boy, was <i>that</i> the wrong thing to say. </p>
<p>Crypto bristled, all barbs and steely walls crashing back down. "Call me that again, and I blow one of your appendages off."</p>
<p>Alright, I admit being curious despite myself. I couldn't refuse an opening like that. "Which one?"</p>
<p>"You pick," he snarled.</p>
<p>Well.</p>
<p>"Okay, this is going badly," I attempted to back up, "so let's start this over."</p>
<p>"Start <i>what</i> over? The real spy is still there, feeding Revenant information, Loba thinks she's going to get killed in her sleep—"</p>
<p>"Bloodhound did tell her to stop sleeping," I said mildly.</p>
<p>"—Natalie thinks I've betrayed her, and the rest of you can't tell your heads from your asses."</p>
<p>"Not my fault both my head <i>and</i> my ass are beautiful."</p>
<p>He stared at me wearing one of those expressions I knew quite well: exasperation, kind of, and astonishment. Like he couldn't believe I was being so difficult. Generally, Renee had that one patented, but Crypto was doing a good impersonation of it. Maybe they could have a face-off, see who could out-emote the other.</p>
<p>"You're an idiot," he finally growled.</p>
<p>Heard that before. I shrugged. "So they say."</p>
<p>From the opposite corner, Bloodhound asked, "What would you suggest?"</p>
<p>"Find the real spy!" Crypto spun on them, hands splayed out to the sides, like it was obvious. <i>So</i> obvious. "Someone is leaking information, someone who wishes Revenant to come out of this the victor, and anyone who aligns with the simulacrum has darker intentions than any of us should be alright with."</p>
<p>"What is the relic?" Bloodhound asked. Quiet. Kind of... unassuming, in the sort of way that still demanded an answer. Wish I could do that; people tended to just ignore me when I asked questions they didn't like.</p>
<p>Crypto's whole body deflated. "I don't know."</p>
<p>"Then we do not understand this person's true intentions."</p>
<p>"They can't be good," Crypto said.</p>
<p>I raised my glass in the air. "Here, here."</p>
<p>"You aren't helping," Crypto snapped at me.</p>
<p>"Yet I notice you haven't left yet." A moment, and he still didn't move. Guy had guts, I'll give him that. "Door's that way."</p>
<p>"I hate you," he tried.</p>
<p>Naw. I lied to people for a living, and trust me, I spent most of that time trying to lie to myself. It's easy to spot on other people when you're that well-versed in the art. "No, you don't."</p>
<p>He looked at me for a long time, and I didn't flinch. Let him look; he'd see whatever he wanted to see. I was too damn tired to fake it. This whole thing, it'd really worn me down. Between the Shadow World, Loba's blackmail threats, people I cared about almost <i>dying</i> at an alarming rate, and the constant game of who-has-betrayed-us, I honestly didn't have much left.</p>
<p>"Are we building a new simulacrum?" Bloodhound asked.</p>
<p>Crypto's eyes swept the length of the room before he answered. "Maybe. Something like that."</p>
<p>Shit. "Shit. Are you serious?"</p>
<p>"I'm not sure, but it seems that way. With each piece we bring back..."</p>
<p>"We build a new Murderbot?" Oh, that was not good. The last thing anyone needed was <i>two</i> creepy robots hellbent on destroying all mankind walking around. Whenever we got paired together in the games, I could feel his eyes staring daggers into my back, just waiting for the chance to kill me even though we were on the same team. Eventually, he was going to do it. Just for fun.</p>
<p>Ugh.</p>
<p>Bloodhound barked out a harsh laugh that sounded distinctly <i>un</i>amused. "The Gods do have their fun with us."</p>
<p>"Not quite the way I would phrase it," I said. "My ideas of fun usually involve more alcohol and less clothing."</p>
<p>Bloodhound leveled me with a look that clearly said they saw right through that one. I didn't know how they managed it with goggles on, but if they ever decided to be a parent, their kids wouldn't stand a chance. I would've been more annoyed, but Bloodhound was a good sport. They always let me keep my masks on.</p>
<p>Finally, Crypto sat down at the bar, and his head slid down into his hands. With his shoulders hunched, he looked pretty miserable. Not like I didn't see miserable people at the bar all the time, but they tended to keep to themselves until it was dark outside, waiting to slip out invisible in the shadows. Crypto, though—man, he looked like he'd lost something monumental, and I wasn't talking about his kill leader status.</p>
<p>He'd really liked Nat, huh?</p>
<p>"She'll come around," I said, and then, as an afterthought, "if you're telling the truth."</p>
<p>"I am," he replied, all bluster and repressed anger. The scowly look really worked on him. If he put even an ounce of effort into interviews, he might be able to rival my fanbase, so maybe it was a good thing he was the most antisocial person since Bangs flat-out refused all autograph sessions. "Why would I hack my own drone?"</p>
<p>"I dunno, Caustic had a good point. Hack yourself, make it seem like someone else did it..."</p>
<p>"The man is psychotic," Crypto hissed. "You believe anything that comes out of his mouth? He'd happily use us all as lab rats, just for the hell of it."</p>
<p>Okay, fair point. Caustic gave me the heebie-jeebies.</p>
<p>Bloodhound pushed away from the wall; apparently, they'd gotten all they wanted out of the conversation. They gave me a nod and left without saying goodbye. Pretty typical. They weren't one for pleasantries, but I waved anyway, even if they didn't look back.</p>
<p>They hadn't given much away, but still, I wondered. They probably stayed because they didn't think Crypto capable of it, either. I mean, guy was a great hacker, but his poker face sucked. Pulling off this long of a deception required a lot more sub— subte— whatever, <i>skills</i>.</p>
<p>I scratched my chin absently, staring at the door Bloodhound had left through. "Didn't Caustic have something to say about simulacrums? He figured out the brain thing, yeah?"</p>
<p>Crypto eyed me warily. "So?"</p>
<p>"Guy's got a lotta knowledge in things like that. Weird things. Things that have nothing to do with poisoning people so they hack up their own lungs."</p>
<p>"You think he knows how to hack?" Crypto's eyebrows rose high again. "Well enough to reprogram <i>my</i> drone?"</p>
<p>My fingers tapped out a rhythm on the countertop. "Can you say for sure he <i>doesn't</i>?"</p>
<p>"That's insane. If he had those skills, he wouldn't need to be in the games."</p>
<p>"Maybe. But <i>you're</i> in the games." I took a long drink, and the liquor burned. Kind of helped, actually. "I'm just spitballin' here, you know. If you claim you aren't the spy, then someone else has to be."</p>
<p>Crypto was silent for a long time. Finally, without raising his head, he asked, "Why do you believe me?"</p>
<p>"Did I say I did?"</p>
<p>"I thought you hated me."</p>
<p>"Meh. Hate is a strong word. Takes a lot of effort." He glanced up at me, eyes hooded, so I barreled forward. "But why would you care if I did? Thought you hated me, too."</p>
<p>"You're annoying."</p>
<p>I got that a lot. Still stung sometimes, though; not sure why it did this time. Filed that one away under 'Things I don't want to think about right now.'</p>
<p>I must have gone silent for too long, because Crypto fidgeted. "I... sorry."</p>
<p>"What are you apologizing for?"</p>
<p>"I don't know if I've been completely fair to you."</p>
<p>Huh. <i>That</i> was a first. And... not an unwelcome one, if that warmth buzzing through my chest was to be believed. Either that, or the liquor was way stronger than I'd originally thought. "And?"</p>
<p>"Perhaps you are not as irritating as I've insinuated."</p>
<p>Better than nothing. "I'll take it, I guess. Baby steps."</p>
<p>Crypto huffed, a lame sort of laugh that wasn't. "I might not be around for anything more. The others could drive me out with pitchforks."</p>
<p>"We aren't given pitchforks in the games," I said. "But we are given pistols."</p>
<p>"Harder to avoid," Crypto said.</p>
<p>"But you die much faster."</p>
<p>When he met my eyes again, I swore he almost, <i>almost</i> smiled. I counted it as a win. Then, after tapping on the rim of his mostly untouched glass for another few seconds: "Why are you helping me?"</p>
<p>"Am I?"</p>
<p>"That's not an answer to the question."</p>
<p>"That's because I guess I... don't really have one." I shrugged one shoulder, which undoubtedly looked stupid. "I don't know why I believe you, I just... do."</p>
<p>"You don't think I'm spying for Revenant?" he asked.</p>
<p>I squinted at him. "No, I don't. But I also don't know who is."</p>
<p>His shoulders slumped again. "Wattson surely despises me now."</p>
<p>"Naw. Renee said we'd figure things out, and her word's as good as gold. Nat just needs some time. She trusted you."</p>
<p>Another not-laugh. "And now she doesn't."</p>
<p>"Well, she'll circle back. Eventually. Maybe. Hopefully."</p>
<p>Crypto sighed, sounding weary. "You are awful at consoling people, you know that?"</p>
<p>"But I'm all you've got right now."</p>
<p>He went quiet for a long, long time before answering. "It would appear so."</p>
<p>"Could be worse." I think I was trying to reassure myself more than him. After all, it's nicer to be appreciated. <i>Really</i> appreciated.</p>
<p>Didn't want to think about why I cared. Really, really didn't.</p>
<p>There was something in his eyes when he agreed that I couldn't name. "Could be."</p>
<p>He didn't say anything else, and neither did I. Couldn't think of anything to add. Maybe there wasn't anything, and maybe that was okay.</p>
<p>Maybe.</p>
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